


Life with Tom Hiddleston

by Avery72



Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Doctors & Physicians, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff, Romance, unicef
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-13 15:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3386999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avery72/pseuds/Avery72
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Avery Anderson is a pediatrician working for UNICEF, loving her life and her work. Then she meets Tom Hiddleston and fluffy adventures ensue.</p><p>Warning: lots of profanity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you have as much fun reading it as I have had writing it.

**Prologue**

Tom was brimming with excitement. He had been casually involved with UNICEF for a number of years, but this would be his second UNICEF trip. Tom had a slight skip in his step and a broad grin as he walked down the hallway to the conference room.

He pulled open the door.

“You have to be fucking kidding me.”

All of Tom’s excitement evaporated. A group of medical professionals sat clustered in the middle of the room, facing a series of whiteboards with writing all over them and documents taped along the edges. One woman was standing and Tom could tell by her posture that she was not pleased with whatever was happening. Based on the way everyone was looking at her, she was the one who had made the comment.

“We are not taking fucking tourists with us.”

“Let’s not get worked up about this,” a man sitting to her left said. “This will be good for publicity; we might be able to raise the funds for our next project through this alone.”

“I don’t care if he’s Tom fucking Hiddleston.” The woman glared at the man. “No. Fucking. Tourists,” she hissed. Anger dripped from every word. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Can you at least meet him before you say no?” the man asked.

The woman didn’t respond. She leaned over and slung her messenger bag over her shoulder. As she turned, she saw Tom standing in the doorway. Her lips pulled into a tight frown as she looked him up and down. Tom also got a chance to look her up and down. She was about 5'5" and petite, with pin-straight shoulder length black hair. She had dark brown eyes, a small nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. But the way her ears suck out made her seem... more cute than beautiful.

Then the rest of the people in the room noticed Tom. Still without saying anything, she pushed past Tom.

“Should I leave?” Tom asked hesitantly, still standing in the doorway.

The man who had been sitting on the woman’s right smiled at Tom and said, “By all means join us!” He waved for Tom to come occupy the seat the woman had just vacated. “I’m sorry you had to… witness that. I’m Dr. Clive Winslett.”

Tom smiled. “It’s great to finally meet you!” Clive had been Tom’s contact at UNICEF for this upcoming trip. They had emailed each other several times over the past few months. The two men shook hands.

“Anyway, don’t pay any attention to the woman who just stormed out; she has a reputation for that nasty temper.” Clive shrugged. “Dr. Avery Anderson is the director of the Afghani program; we’re her support crew.” The man who had been sitting Avery’s left was Dr. Josh McCourt.  The man on Josh’s other side was Dr. Kevin McAllister. The woman on Kevin’s other side was Dr. Sarah Chesteen.

Tom shook hands with all the doctors; Clive had sent him a dossier on each member and their role on the project a few weeks ago. Tom had also looked up each member on the UNICEF website. “So… What is this about tourists?” Tom asked, taking a seat.

Josh chuckled. “She was referring to you. She thinks you’ll only get in the way.”

Sarah smirked. “She can be as pissed as she wants for as long as she wants. You’re still coming. So don’t look so hurt.”

“And don’t look afraid,” Clive added. “It will only encourage her to continue being nasty to you.”

Tom leaned over and said in a hushed tone, “If you don’t mind me asking… Is she always like that? Most of the articles I’ve read about her depict her as...”

“As grace and compassionate incarnated?” Clive offered.

Tom nodded.

“We once nicknamed her Doc Sunshine because when she smiles, the brightness is as blinding as 1000 rays of sunlight,” Josh stated. “Or because she is constantly blowing sunshine up everyone’s asses.”

“She’s going through a difficult time,” Sarah said. “It’s a long and complicated story. And it’s one you don’t need to know as of right now.”


	2. Chapter 2

I had a wide smile on my face as I stepped out from under the tent was our small, traveling clinic into the sunshine. I rolled my shoulders and stared out across the desert. There was something about being here, working with this community, that invigorated me. Sure, I was still haunted by the things that had happened to me the last time I was here, but sometimes the fear is overcome by the sheer pleasure of helping others.

I had been working with UNICEF for five years, this being my fifth year. I had formed a strong bond with the community; for all intents and purposes they were my adopted family. From them I had learned conversational Pastho and attitudes about life.

“Doctor, doctor!” a voice shouted in English from behind me. My smile faded and I willed myself not to lose my composure at the smiling Tom Hiddleston and his entourage of journalists. I scoffed to myself; I told myself that I was being unfair. It was more like one journalist and a photographer.

“We just flew in this afternoon and got settled into camp. Josh and Kevin showed us around. They said I would be able to find you here.” Tom kept smiling at me. “Do you mind if I start tagging along with you now?”

I put on my best disappointed face. “I’m a doctor, not a celebrity. They are not allowed within five feet of me. I basically don’t want to see them when I’m working.” I crossed my arms. “As for you, I don’t want to deal with you until tomorrow.” I turned on my heels and walked away.

“I thought you should she was a lovely lady,” Tom’s photographer huffed out once I left. “I think the word ‘scathing’ is more appropriate.”

“She’s really pleased that you’re here, but doesn’t want to admit it.” Clive approached and shook hands with the three men. He shook his head and chuckled. “She’s stubborn.”

\---

Clive, Kevin, and I sat on one side of the table. Tom and his crew sat opposite us. Sarah and Josh flanked the ends. We ate dinner and discussed the work we did that day. Tom had joined us two weeks late due to filming conflicts, so he was coming up to speed about what has been happening. Once that conversation topic was exhausted, we sat in silence.

Tom used it as an opportunity to introduce a game he wanted to play over the next four weeks. He pulled out a small book called _Listopia_. It was more like a journal that provided 100 prompts and space for you to write down your top five favorite things related to the prompt. “I thought it would be a fun thing for us to do,” Tom said while cracking the book open to the first page.

I got up to leave, but Clive placed a hand on my shoulder and kept me sitting. “You’re going to sit here and play. You need to relax.”

“I am relaxed. Besides, I have things to do.”

“Whatever those things are, you can do them tomorrow,” Kevin chided me. “No one is going to die.”

My eyes narrowed into a glare. Sure, most doctors have a morbid and slightly disgusting sense of humor to help cope with the stresses of the job. But I never found joking about death funny. Especially not here, in Afghanistan.

“Sorry,” Kevin apologized, holding up his hands. “Too soon.”

“Fuck off,” I said.

Clive gave my shoulder a squeeze. His eyes begged me to not to make the situation any worse and uncomfortable. I sighed, crossed my arms over my chest, and frowned at everyone.

“Go on, Tom,” Sarah encouraged.

Tom cleared his throat. “Alright… First question is, ‘What are the five things you love most?’ I suppose we’ll each just name one.”

We went around the table sharing one thing that we loved. When it was my turn, I stated that I loved being a doctor. As a child I dreamed of being a doctor; as a young adult I worked my ass off to get into medical school; and as an adult I was helping the world.

Clive groaned. “That’s a lame answer.”

“I thought it was kind of sweet,” Tom said.

“You should tell them about you-know-who,” Clive suggested, playfully elbowing me in the side.

I rolled me eyes and attempted to stifle a laugh. “No one needs to know about that.” The only reason Clive knew was because once during residency, I had gotten a little too drunk and confessed the fact to him.

This was the first time that Tom had ever heard me laugh. He thought it sounded like a little bird being tickled; he liked the way it sounded. “You have to tell us!” Tom demanded. “You can’t leave us hanging!”

I refused to say it, so Clive did it for me. “This lady is **obsessed** with Tom Cruise, particularly _Top Gun_. She owns almost all of his movies and has a journal from when she was younger where she would save any article she saw about Tom Cruise in a newspaper or a magazine.”

The whole table erupted with laughter.

I tried to play it off. “Everyone has their celebrity crush. Mine just happened to be Tom Cruise.”

“And then Benedict Cumberbatch,” Clive continued.

“You really need to shut up,” I cried, throwing my hands up in the air in exasperation. I playfully punched him in the arm. “You were totally in love with Leonard Dicaprio, and you’re not even gay.”

“If you want to meet Ben, I can arrange that to happen,” Tom offered.

I shook my head vehemently. “No, I’m fine just admiring from a distance.”

“Besides,” Clive jumped in, “who needs him when they’ve got you?” He winked at Tom and Tom’s grin broadened.

“Stop it, both of you!” I said. “I don’t need you interfering in my personal affairs.”

“What personal affairs?” Josh scoffed, jumping in on the teasing. “You don’t have any personal affairs because all you do is work.”

“I do not!” I defended myself. “I do have other friends than you four.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Really?” Josh asked. “Who are these other friends? Don’t tell me they only exist in your mind.”


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks later, we were off to re-visit an orphanage on the western edge of our community. Tom hadn’t arrived in Afghanistan to join us when we first went.

One of the community members drove the truck; I sat in the back with Tom and the equipment we were bringing to the orphanage. Tom and I had reached an understanding of sorts. Tom understood that I was inherently moody and learned the cues to when I was about to go off into a rage. I understood that Tom had a genuine interest in making friends with everyone and contributing to UNICEF. My attitude towards Tom had softened.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked.

“Nothing really.” Tom shrugged. “And this is my normal face.”

“You’re making an expression that indicates you haven’t quite figured something out. It’s subtle, but it’s there.”

Tom was impressed with how observant I was. As a trained actor, he was rather good at keeping his expression blank unless he wanted you to see it. “I was wondering what happened to you.”

“What happened to me?” I asked.

“Clive and Sarah haven’t said anything specific, but they keep saying that something happened to you that changed your temperament.”

Over the weeks, Tom had watched me work with the community. Whenever I was with someone, particularly children, I always had a gigantic smile on my face. It was obvious that being a doctor was my one true calling. It was also obvious that the community love me and I loved them in return. Tom noticed that I didn’t just bring them medicine, but I brought them joy and hope.

But Tom had also noticed that I frowned whenever I was by myself. When he asked Clive about it, Clive said, “She is the strongest woman I know. When you look at Afghanistan, a small part of your soul dies by how difficult life is here. But she makes it life mission to fix their lives. She absorbs all their pain and in return gives them a chance at a better life.”

“You don’t need to know,” I said in response to Tom’s question as I avoided his gaze.

We sat in silence the rest of the way to the orphanage.

The children were waving out the windows at us, smiles on their faces. “Doctor, welcome back!” they shouted at me in Pashto.

I leaned out the window and waved back at them. “How are you?” I shouted back at them in Pashto.

Tom wondered how I did it, how I just flipped my personality like flipping a switch. Whatever trace of sadness I carried about myself was gone; I radiated pure joy. Tom knew that some part of me was broken, and whether he consciously decided it or not, he felt compelled to fix it.

\---

“How are we feeling today?” I asked Aliah, one of the older girls at the orphanage. Even though I would never admit it, Aliah was one of my favorite children in the orphanage. She carried herself with a grace, elegance, and maturity beyond her years. She had the wisdom of a grandmother.

“I am well,” she responded. “My chest doesn’t hurt anymore and the cough is gone.” I listened to her heart and lungs. She looked back and forth between Tom and me. “Is he going to be your new husband?” she asked abruptly.

“Who?”

“That man.” She pointed at Tom.

Even though he didn’t speak a word of Pashto, he managed to play games with the children. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground and the youngest children were crawling all over him. Aliah giggled when she saw one child grabbed his ear lobe. Tom also gave them sweets, which helped to build their admiration for him.

“No. He’s just visiting.”

“You can see it in his eyes,” she said. “My father used to look at my mother with that same expression. Do you think a man like him could love me?”

I kissed Aliah on her forehead. “Of course! You are the bravest and most beautiful girl I know.” Aliah giggled at the comment, entertaining the thought that this handsome British man could love her.

As I went to care for other children in the orphanage, Tom got a change to site and talk with Aliah. She blushed and was very shy around Tom, especially after Tom kissed her hand and told her she was the loveliest girl in all of Afghanistan. Aliah had no idea what he was saying, but she like the way Tom smiled at her.

“Double A, can you please translate for us?” Tom asked.

I realized that Tom had started calling me by the nickname Clive gave me. A large part of me celebrated the sound of my nickname rolling off his tongue. A small part of me recoiled because the use of that nickname was for Clive only. I shuddered and the thought in the back of my mind for later consideration.

I kneeled next to Aliah. She spoke first. “Aliahs says that you a charming man and wonders if you will marry her. She wants you to take her to England, where you are from.”

Tom grinned and replied. “Tom says that he will take you to England one day, but unfortunately his belongs to another woman."

Aliah responded. I cocked my head at Aliah is a disapproving expression. Aliah repeated what she said and demanded that I translate for Tom. I sighed and told Tom, “Aliah says that you are in love with me.”

“I am,” Tom said. “I do love you.”

I made the same expression at Tom that I had made at Aliah. “You don’t love me.”

“Maybe not in the intimate, romantic sense. But I do love you.”

I sighed.

Aliah asked me what Tom and I had said to each other. She asked me if I told Tom I love him, too.

I replied to her saying that I did not love Tom. Aliah frowned at me, but I added, “You know I love you and all the children here.”

“I know,” she replied, placing her hand over her heart. “I can feel it.”


	4. Chapter 4

It was our final week in Afghanistan. Tom’s confession about loving me caught me off guard and made what was a budding friendship awkward. I tried my best to ignore that it ever happened, which just resulted to me being cold towards him once again.

“What’s the matter?” I asked him over breakfast.

“Can I work in the clinic with you?”

“You already work in the clinic with me.”

“I meant it as in I want to be your medical assistant. I’m doing all the campaign stuff for UNICEF, but I don’t actually do anything important. Besides, the others partner up; only you work by yourself.”

I wanted to snap back that it was because I had lost my partner a year and a half ago. But I was in mood to explain myself. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. I answered Tom in a flat tone. “You are doing something important. We aren’t be able to do the work we do without awareness and funding.”

“Please? I promise I won’t get in the way.”

I shook my head. “You’re not going to like it.” I sighed. “I don’t think you have the temperament to do it.”

Tom made a wounded look. “You don’t seriously mean that.”

“Rural medicine is not like modern medicine. It’s a lot more difficult and gross.”

Tom continued to plead with me and I continued to deny him. I came up with all sorts of excuses. Tom got frustrated and left me alone at the table. I finished my tea and then mentally prepared myself for the day.

Tom found Clive in his tent. Clive had his feet propped up on a water canister and was eating a granola bar while looking out across the desert.

“I don’t get it.” Tom said as he took a seat on Clive’s cot.

“Get what?” Clive responded.

“How can anyone be so fucking moody? Sometimes we get along fabulously and sometimes she wants to stab me in the face.” Tom placed his hands over his face. “I just wanted to help her in the clinic today.”

Clive shrugged. “No one is perfect.” He took another bite of his bar. “After what happened to Double A a year and a half ago… she’s lost herself. We told her to find something else, but she loves the people here too much to give them up.”

“What happened?”

“Ever wonder where her last name came from? Anderson isn’t a typical Asian-American name.” Tom didn’t say anything, waiting for Clive to continue. “Avery lost her husband. He has an engineer, but he would come and help out because UNICEF is something that is very important to Double A. We came under attack by an isolated terrorist group; he was shot and killed.” Clive traced his jaw with his free hand and shook his head, remembering. “It’s why she didn’t want to have ‘tourists’ on this trip. She feels responsible for her husband’s death and struggles with the idea that it might happen again.”

Then all the pieces fell into place and Tom understood me. I didn’t put on fake smiles for others because it was part of the job; it was because I was a naturally optimistic and loving woman. By throwing myself into my work, I could temporarily escape the haunting of my husband’s death and be happy. It was why certain phrases would trigger my anger. It was why I wore what looked like a wedding band on the fourth finger of my right hand.

\---

Clive came over to talk to me. Clive placed a hand on my shoulder and said, “You should let Tom help you. Just for today.”

“I don’t need him getting in the way. Remember? I hate tourists.”

Clive sighed. “It’s been a fucking year and a half. This is our third trip since the incident... Maybe it’s time you started to let go.”

I laughed. “As if I could choose to just let go.”

“This…” Clive waved his hands, trying to conjure the right words. “This anger and moodiness and isolation is not you. We’ve been friends for too long; I know it’s wearing you down.”

I didn’t respond.

“Please, Double A?” Clive pleaded. “Give it a chance?”

“Fine,” I agreed.

\---

It was a rough day. I had to ask Tom to put a mask on because he would make faces, which would make the patients panic. A child had passed away, despite our best efforts to resuscitate him. We got a patient with an open tibia-fibula fracture; but there was nothing we could really do for him. I gave him lots of pain killers and then reduced the fracture; I sewed what I could pack together and placed his leg into a long cast.

The moment Tom saw the injury; he froze in a mix of disgust and panic.

“Get out of the way,” I said, pushing him off to the side.

Tom just looked back at me, stunned.

“Get the fuck out,” I growled at him. “You fucking tourist.” I gave him a good shove and Tom stumbled over his feet out of the clinic.

I found him an hour later, staring off into the horizon. He had an expression of deep sadness on his face. “I’m sorry,” I said as I approached. “Sorry for yelling at you.”

Tom smiled softly at me. “It’s alright. We all know you’re moody.”

“Are you okay?” I asked. I knew he had vomited because the injury he saw was too gross, but I wasn’t going to mention it. I also had to fight the urge to tell him, “I told you so.”

Tom looked down at me. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” I asked.

“This.” He motioned towards the clinic. “This is the most heartbreaking experience I have ever gone through my entire life.”

“I have a unique talent, in the sense I can practice medicine. How can you look at someone and tell them you won’t help them with what God gave to you?”

“I didn’t know you believed in God.”

“I don’t; it is just what they here refer to it as. I believe that there is a fifth dimension of life we cannot fully perceive; some call it coincidence, reality, or God. I don’t know the answer, so who am I to tell them that they are wrong?”

We stood in silence for a few moments.

“Clive told me,” Tom finally said.

“What?”

“Clive told me about your husband.” He caught my wrist before I could storm off and murder my best friend. “And I get it now. I just want to say I’m sorry. For making this harder than it has to be.”

I looked down at my feet and didn’t say anything. “Sometimes I just miss him so much,” I whispered. “Sometimes I get so lonely without him and it’s exhausting.”


	5. Chapter 5

_“The big question on everyone’s mind: are you single?”_

_“I am, but I’d really like to be in a relationship.”_

_“Did you hear that ladies? Tom Hiddleston is looking for love.”_

_Tom chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”_

_“Describe your ideal woman.”_

_Tom shakes his head. “I just met someone who blew me away. She is perhaps the most confident, ambitious, and compassionate person I have ever had the good fortune of knowing. She’s absolutely brilliant. They say you can’t have it all; but she actually does have it all.” Tom pauses, biting his lip and lost in his own thoughts. “And it strikes me with anguish that I can’t have her.” He chuckles._

_“What kind of woman rejects THE Tom Hiddleston?”_

_Tom shrugs. “She told me that she couldn’t see how I would fit into her grand scheme of things. That woman has an incredible vision of the future; I’m just not included in it.”_

_“So what are you going to do now?”_

_Tom shrugs again. “Do you know where she is right now? Yes, she’s in Geneva working to reform the way we provide humanitarian medical aid. How can you compete with that?”_

_So what is the moral of this story, ladies? Tom Hidddleston may be single, but he’s very much in love. It will be interesting to see how this romance pans out. But I will be the first to admit I have my fingers crossed Tom will come around to asking me on a date._

I nearly choked on my tea because I was laughing so hard at the article. Tom had done an exclusive interview to talk about his recent adventures with UNICEF and promoting his new film. Clive had forwarded the article to me. “Can you believe this?” he wrote in the email. “One of the most eligible men in the world is still head over heels in love with you. You’re heartless.”

I called Clive as soon as I got the chance. “I’m not heartless. I’m just more a pragmatist than a romantic. Besides, he’s in love with the ideal of me and not actually with me.”

“If you don’t reach out to him, I’m fucking going to do it for you.”

“Please don’t meddle in my affairs,” I said.

“What affairs? We already established you have nothing going on in your life except your work. The only thing that’s changed over the past few months is that you’re less grumpy and scathing. Thank goodness, by the way.” Clive wouldn’t let me get a word in. “You’re finally getting over your husband. It’s time you get out there and find another good man. Or in this case, reach out to the good man who is pining for your love.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I shot back.

“No, I’m serious. You can’t be alone forever.” Clive sighed into the phone. “If you do nothing else today, trust me. Call Tom.”

\---

Tom would be coming home for the holidays. He was going to spend a few days with me before going to spend a few days with his parents. We had been “casually dating” for a few months now; we had a few dates in person, but the majority of our dates were long telephone conversations. I bubbled with nervous excitement because this weekend would be the first real step towards having a relationship.

I stood at the bottom of the escalator, holding a paper sign with “Dr. Fitzhugh” scribbled on it my over-masculine, all-letters-capitalized handwriting. Even though Tom would have to have a security escort and had a personal driver, we arranged for me to meet up with him at the airport. I wasn’t much of a romantic, but I knew that Tom would appreciate the gesture.

A huge smile broke out over my face when I saw him descending the escalator. He was wearing all black, with a knit beanie pulled low over his hair. He smiled at me and gave me a small wave. I wasn’t sure if he was walking quickly towards me, or if he just had long strides. Tom embraced me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Hello, darling,” he said. “Let’s be off before we draw too much attention.”

\---

Our first date was when Tom surprised me in my own home with a candle-lit dinner, champagne, and hundreds of flowers. I didn’t work for UNICEF full-time and I still had bills to pay, so I worked for a children’s hospital a few blocks away from my apartment.

“Did something happen to the electricity?” I asked when I saw that Tom had lit up my apartment with candles instead of turning the lights on. I checked the lights; they worked.

Tom laughed at me. “Candles are romantic!”

I shrugged and went with it. “Anyway, I smell like a hospital and need a shower.”

“Is that an invitation?” Tom asked, a coy smile on his lips.

I rolled my eyes. “No. Just... do whatever it is that you were doing before I got home.”

I sighed with relief as soon as I stepped under the warm water. As much as I loved my job, I still had bad days and today had been a bad day. Then I sighed again realizing that I was exhausted, but had a guest in my apartment. I silently prayed that tonight wasn’t going to be unbearable awkward or that I wouldn’t fall asleep mid-conversation.

“You alright?” Tom asked after dinner. We were snuggling on the couch, looking out across the city lights through the balcony window. Tom had asked me a question, but I was too busy dozing off to hear it.

“I’m sorry,” I replied, half asleep. “I’m a rude host.” I tried to sit up, but the weight of Tom’s arm wrapped around me felt so reassuringly safe and heavy. I resigned myself to just looking up at him with my head still resting against his shoulder. “Long day at work today.”

Tom laughed. “I’m sorry for the poor timing.”

I didn’t get a chance to respond because I was already sleeping. Tom sat there, smiling to himself. He appreciated the honesty, the lack of pretention to make him the center of my universe when there were obviously more important things to me – like sleep.

With utmost care, Tom scooped me into his arms and carried me to my bedroom. He tucked me in and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek. “You’re so funny,” he said. “Not in the ha-ha kind of way, but that I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

He placed a kind note on the kitchen table for me, thanking me for a wonderful evening and telling me to call him as soon as I could. Then he left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bits and pieces of drabble I've been stockpiling over the months.

Tom apologized for eating, even though the interview was supposed to start. Covering his mouth, he swallowed the last of the chocolate candy.

“I’m sorry about that,” he apologized. “My girlfriend packed these delicious chocolates for me to snack on between interviews. Would you like one?”

The interviewer’s mouth dropped open as she accepted a chocolate. “Your girlfriend?”

“Yes,” Tom confirmed. “She’s a sweetheart.”

“Do you feel that?” the interviewer asked, sitting back.

“Feel what?” Tom asked, clearly confused.

“Thousands of hearts are breaking all over the world. Including mine.”

Tom giggled. Looking straight into the camera, he said, “I’m sorry. I will always love and respect you, my dearest fans. But I have found the woman who has stolen my heart entirely.”

“Can you tell us a little bit about her?”

“I can.” Tom leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “But I’m not going to.”

“Come on,” wheedled the interviewer.

“Um…” Tom thought about it for a moment. He knew that he shouldn't because of privacy reasons, but he really wanted to share his love for me with the world. “Okay.”  An easy smile came across his features.

“You must really like her,” the interviewer commented. “I can see it in the way you smile just thinking about her.”

Tom chuckled. “Saying that I’m quite fond of her is a massive understatement.” He blushed and giggled some more. “So in my last interview, I was asked about what drew me to the character and how I formed a bond with that character. I think being in love with someone is very much the same. I am drawn to my girlfriend by how we are both so emotionally giving and vulnerable, but in very different ways. I’m an actor. I force myself to be expressive and to be nuanced in how I express myself, so that other people can understand me. She, on the other hand, is very secretive with her emotions because wants you to express yourself in ways you didn’t realize you could. There’s such vulnerability in holding yourself out to feel and understand what someone else feels.”

“She’s not a psychotherapist, is she?” the interviewer asked.

“That’s all you get. My lips are now sealed on this subject.”

The interviewer pouted. Tom laughed and shook his head, holding onto his resolve.

"What's the worst thing about her?"

Tom giggled, but didn't say anything.

"Please?" The interviewer dragged out the word for several seconds.

"She can be quite the potty mouth."

The interviewer laughed and said, “Thank you. We can now get on with the real questions…”

\---

“Seriously?” Tom asked. He was staring down at me, with his hands propped on his hips. I was lounging on the couch, reading a medical journal and eating a roll of Oreos. Tom had just come home from a 10-mile run in attempt to shape up for his next role.

“Sorry,” I mumbled sheepishly around the cookie in my mouth. I quickly chewed and swallowed the cookie while hiding the rest of the role under a pillow.

Standing up, I gave my exhausted husband a hug. “I’m sorry,” I repeated. Tom placed his head on my shoulder and leaned against me for support. “You are the strongest man I know,” I continued. “You are the ultimate man of the universe.” I pulled away from him just only to give him a kiss.

“I love you,” he responded.

“I know you do,” I responded. I hugged him for a moment longer. “Now go shower because you smell fucking atrocious.”

Tom rubbed his sweaty neck against mine. “You love it,” he crooned.

“I love you,” I responded. “Not the way you smell right now.”

\---

Tom thought his was going to surprise me by having dinner ready when I got home. Not realizing that Tom would be waiting for me, I stayed on shift for a few extra hours. By the time I had gotten home, it was close to midnight and Tom was fast asleep on the couch. I wasn’t particularly surprised to find him there; we shared the same calendar application, so we always knew where the other was at any time of the day. Even though Tom never stuck exactly to his schedule, I had gotten somewhat good at predicting when he would be making a short trip home to London.

I covered him with a blanket and went for a shower. Tom was still sleeping when I emerged, wearing a fresh pair of scrubs. I finished setting the table and kneeled next to my boyfriend.

“Tom,” I said gently, running my hands through his hair. I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, then on the nose. “Tom, love, let’s have dinner.”

Tom groaned in response.

“Come on, Tom,” I said. I kissed him again. “I don’t want to eat without you, but I’m starving and just might.”

Tom sat up and yawned. Then he suddenly realized that his dinner plans for me was ruined because he fallen asleep. He mumbled some flustered apology and I laughed at him.

We sat and had dinner. We caught up with each other and the small adventures of our lives. There really wasn’t much for us to say each other; we were in constant communication via phone calls and text messages and email. We needed to physically catch up with each other: holding hands and cuddling and making loving expressions are each other.

“I missed you,” I said to break the silence. I smiled at him. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

Tom smiled back. “It was my pleasure.”

“Do you wear anything else besides scrubs?”

I shrugged. “The real question is… why wear anything else?”

“Touché.”

“You want a pair? Then you can realize for yourself how fucking great they are.”

Tom laughed. “I don’t think you have a pair that will fit me.”

“Clive is your size. He always leaves spares here.” I put my glass of wine down. I got up and went over to a small closet. I pulled out a pair in dark blue, matching mine. “Try it on.” I tossed the clothes to Tom.

I laughed when Tom emerged wearing the scrubs. I was sitting in a chair at the table, my legs crossed. I had my head propped on my hand, which was propped on my elbow propped on my knee. I was scrolling through some work emails on my phone.

“What?” Tom asked. He held his arms out and looked down at his clothes.

“It’s fucking sexy.”

We giggled.

“It feels like I’m wearing pajamas.”

I nodded. “Exactly. Professional, utilitarian pajamas.” I stood up. “Since we’re wearing pajamas…. Coming to bed?”

Tom didn’t need to be asked twice.

\---

Benedict slapped his friend on the shoulder. “If you thought this man was a charmer, you should wait and see him with his girlfriend.”

Tom blushed. “We don’t need to talk about her. I opened my mouth once and now everything is a mess.”

Benedict sat back. “Can I at least tell the story?”

Tom sighed and nodded. He gave Benedict a sideways look before Benedict started. “Everyone has their flaws. Hers are: she works too fucking much and she has somewhat of a temper. Or maybe not a temper? She does not suffer fools.” Benedict shrugged. “Anyway, she tells Tom that maybe they should break up because they have different personality types. And in the long run, things wouldn’t work out that well. She makes a comparison between herself and the Hulk. Then Tom says…”

Tom finished the statement. “Fortunately for you, the Hulk is my favorite Marvel superhero.”

 ---

"How do you feel about being named one of the sexiest men alive?"

Tom laughed. "It's flattering. But all it really is, is kindling to the fire of ridicule that my girlfriend gives me."

"Your girlfriend isn't pleased?"

"She jokes that if they really knew what I looked like, then I would definitely not make the list. You know, the dark circles under my eyes, the blonde curly hair and receding hairline, and my paleness.” Tom shrugged. "But she loves me, which is what really matters."


	7. Chapter 7

Dressed in a full Sailor Mercury outfit, complete with the neon blue wig and blue contact lenses, I was the very last individual to ask a question of the Hall H panel. Benedict and I timed it this way because we didn’t know how the audience would react to our stunt.

I approached the microphone nervously. “Hello, Mr. Cumberbatch.” I nodded at him.

“Hello, girly.”

As soon as Tom heard my voice when I first spoke to address Benedict, he sat ramrod straight. He recognized my voice, but he wasn’t sure it was me because I looked completely different. As soon as Benedict addressed me as “girly,” he knew it was me; it was Benedict’s pet name for me. He turned his head and stared at his friend, his mouth slightly agape. I was supposed to be in London planning my next UNICEF trip.

“My question is for the directors, producers, writers, and Mr. Cumberbatch.” I smiled sweetly at the panel. I reached up and held the microphone with my left hand. “I was wondering… the next time you’re doing a romantic comedy, if you could cast me as the lead opposite Mr. Cumberbatch.” My voice wavered a little bit, but smile just grew and grew.

The entire hall erupted with laughter and screams and cheers.

Tom managed to peel his eyes away from his friend to look at me when I spoke. Then he saw my ring and just about lost all composure. He ran a hand through his hair, leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and lifted a hand to his mouth to cover the smile that was there. The last time we had seen each other, Tom had asked me to marry him. We’d been dating for almost two years now.

Tom proposed to me during a run of a play on the West End.

“Meet me at the London Eye at 8:30 tonight,” Tom said, kissing me quickly as he ran out the door of our apartment. “They want to make some performance changes.”

I shooed him on his way. “Don’t be late,” I called after him.

I stood outside the London Eye. The ride was closed, so I wandered up and down the sidewalk with the tourists. Tom was late, which I wasn’t completely surprised about. I leaned on the concrete wall facing the Thames River, looking at the lights of Parliament.

“Sorry we’re late.” Tom approached me with a friend. “This is Johnny; he’s an operator for the London Eye.”

Tom had reserved the Ferris wheel for just our use this evening. He sat in a carriage at the apex of the ride. We cuddled each other and looked out across all the lights of London. A sparkle of light from the corner of my eye caught my attention.

Turning my head, I saw Tom holding out a gorgeous diamond ring. I brought my hands to my mouth, too surprised to say anything. I looked from the ring to Tom. Getting down on one knee, he said, “Dr. Avery Anderson, you have changed everything about my life in the best way possible; you bring me joy in everything. I love you and will always love you. I would like to know if you pass through life at my side.”

I struggled to find words. I opened and closed my mouth, trying to make words come out. As much as I wanted to marry Tom, I knew that I wasn’t ready for it. Dating Tom was one thing; marrying Tom was another entirely. Sure the public scrutiny wasn’t too severe, I was more well-known for my work with UNICEF and that wasn’t even much publicity.

I hesitated.

Finally, I managed to squeak out, “I don’t know.”

Tom sat back, no expected my response in the slightest. He was now at a loss for words. I closed his hand around the ring and I placed my hand on top of his. “Marrying you changes a lot of things for me… I need to think about it.” I leaned and kissed him. “I love you, Tom Hiddleston. I want you to know that.” Tom nodded. “But I need to think about this. This,” I motioned towards the ring, “changes everything for me.” Tom nodded, but didn’t say anything.

The ring, now on the fourth finger of my left hand, let Tom know what my decision was. We hadn’t spoken about marriage since we awkwardly went our separate ways earlier that May. Sometime between separating and now I had decided to marry him. Tom’s heart leaped with happiness and excitement.

Benedict was howling with laughter; I had delivered my line perfectly. Benedict waited for the cheering to die down before he leaned into the microphone and said, “Are you sure you want me?” He gave a pointed looked to Tom. The audience cheered hysterically once more.

The way Benedict smiled at his best friend gave all the encouragement Tom needed to do the ridiculous. Tom stood up and ran around the table and jumped from the stage; he crawled over the top of the security railing. He ran towards me and I ran towards him. Tom scooped me up in his arms and twirled me around.

Settling me back on the ground, Tom kissed me long and hard. And he kissed me again and again. He pressed our foreheads together and whispered, “I missed you, Dr. Hiddleston.”

I chuckled and kissed him. “Even though I agreed to marry you, I’m still Dr. Anderson.”

“So be it, Mrs. Hiddleston.”

We giggled and kissed again. There was deafening silence as everyone was in total shock. Except Benedict, who said, “Seriously you two, get a room.”

Tom turned smartly towards the stage and saluted Benedict. “Yes, sir!” Taking my hand in his, Tom led me backstage at an easy trot. “Come, my love. There is much tongue-wagging we have to do.”

\---

 “What changed your mind?” Tom asked. We were lying in bed together, enjoying just being in close proximity to each other.

I turned my head to smile at him. “I realized that you make me so, so happy.” I rolled onto my back and looked at the ceiling. “I couldn’t image spending my life with a different man. So I thought to myself, ‘Why not marry the man you love with all your heart now? You’re going to marry him anyway, so go for it.’”

Tom rolled on his side to face me. “I, for one, am very glad about the decision.” He caressed my face. “But why did you really change your mind?”

I took his hand in mine. “I realized that no matter what career I choose, I will always be satisfied. But only you can fill the space in my heart. I’d have to be an idiot to give you up.”

Tom laughed. “And an idiot you definitely are not.”

\---

“I have a sad announcement,” Zach Levi said as he walked out on stage. “Tom Hiddleston is otherwise occupied with… Sailor Mercury.” There was a collective sound of sadness and disappointment. “But Tom has sent someone in his stead! Please welcome to Nerd HQ, Benedict Cumberbatch!”

After all the commotion died down, Zach turned to Benedict. “The big question on everyone’s mind… What the hell happened at Hall H yesterday?”

Benedict put his head in his hands. He held the microphone away from his mouth so he could laugh. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t’ stop laughing. After a few moments, Benedict got control of his composure. “Love,” he said. “Love happened.”

The audience burst out into laughs and cheers; Benedict lost his composure once more. “Basically, Tom hadn’t seen his lovely girlfriend for several months because they’re both workaholics. So I arranged this little surprise. And it was glorious.”

“It was.” Zach shook his head. “I just lost it. It was like an explosion of happiness and giggles and confusion and heartbreak.” He sighed. “Can you tell us anything about her?”

Benedict shook his head. “It’s not my business violating their privacy. But I will say that she’s quite spectacular. She’s like…” He paused for a moment. “If Tom was a woman who was brilliant and math and science, that would be her.” Benedict sat forward.

“Wait… You haven’t met her yet?” Benedict asked, slightly surprised. Zach shook his head. “What are you doing after this?” Benedict asked coyly, the pitch of his voice dropping an octave. “Because you can join me as I terrorize the Hiddlestons.”

“Yeah!” he responded enthusiastically. Zach and Benedict gave each other a very subtle look, knowing that Benedict’s use of the plural was not a mistake.

Benedict then proceeded to field questions from the audience. At one point, after several questions about Tom and his mysterious woman, Benedict responded, “You know what? Let’s just call the gentleman himself.” Benedict pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Tom. He set his phone on speakerphone and held the microphone to it. The entire audience was abuzz with excitement. “Remember, for this work to you have to be absolutely silent.”

It went to Tom’s voicemail. Benedict hung up and dialed me; I answered one ring right before it was to go to voicemail.

“Sorry about that, Bambi,” I said. “We lost Tom’s trousers; I was trying to call you back on his phone when you called my phone!” I laughed.

“Is Tom there?”

“He’s in the shower. It’s real hot and heavy in this hotel room.” I chuckled into the phone and Benedict could hear me shuffling around Tom’s hotel room. “Jeez, there are clothes everywhere.”

“I didn’t need to know that.” He held a finger up to his lips in warning to the audience.

“There is no such thing as too much information between best friends. Is there, Bambi?” Benedict blushed slightly at the use of his pet name in public again. There was a pause as I checked my watch. “Shouldn’t you be in an interview with Zachary Levi? Thanks for filling in, by the way” Before he could respond, I said, “Bambi, if you’re done early, come back and celebrate with us! We are just about to have lunch in Coronado.”

It was Benedict’s turn to laugh. “I am still at the interview. I have been repeatedly asked about Tom and you, so I figured I would get the information directly from you both.” I didn’t respond right away. “You are on, actually have been on, speakerphone. Is there anything you would like to share?”

“You fucker!” I exclaimed on the phone.

“I love you, too,” Benedict grinned ear to ear and the audience erupted with screams and cheers.

Then I laughed. “I’m very sorry; I was very surprised and the profane word came out.”

“Zach says it’s alright,” Benedict said. “We’re all adults here.” Benedict shifted in his seat. “The most popular question of the day has been to describe you. Everyone wants to know what kind of woman ensnared the heart of their favorite actor.”

“You make it sound like I cast an evil spell on him. Ensnared.” I shook my head.

“It was love at first sight.”

“Right...” I drawled out. I remembered how rude I had been to him when we first met. And then continued to have a condescending attitude towards him for the greater part of four weeks.

I laughed. “Let me answer the two questions that are _really_ on everyone’s mind.” I had to pause to collect myself. “What’s it like being in a relationship with the sexiest man alive? Hugging him is like hugging a Greek marble statue because he’s fucking chiseled.” We all laughed.

“And to answer the _real_ question behind that question:  However amazing and mind-blowing you imagine Tom is in bed, he’s 100 times better.” I continued laughing hysterically into the phone.

“Who are you talking to?” Tom asked, emerging from the bathroom.

I shrugged and nonchalantly replied, “Just Bambi. Now drop that towel.” I hung up and tossed the phone aside on the nearby chair.

Benedict howled with laughter. “And there you go.” He pocketed his phone. “Any other questions?” The audience was still too stunned to say anything.

“I think I love her, too,” Zach said.

Benedict nodded. “Wait until you actually meet her.”

\---

We settled down to lunch at a restaurant on the beach. Tom and I were on one side of the table; Benedict and Zach were on the other side. Upon greeting Benedict, I gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I shook hands with Zach, introducing myself as just Avery.

“You mean, Dr. Anderson,” Benedict stated.

“You’re a doctor?” Zach asked. “That’s impressive.”

I shrugged. “Not really. Lots of people are doctors. But thank you!” We made small talk with each other.

“Perfect!” I exclaimed as we were seated. “We can watch the submarine exercises from here,” I joked.

The men looked at me blankly. Apparently I wasn’t as funny as I thought I was. “The joke is you can’t see them…” They continued to look at me blankly and I just shrugged off my failed attempt at humor.

During lunch, Benedict kept staring at the ring on my left hand. I tried my best to ignore the attention, but I finally caved. I held my hand across the table. “Isn’t it beautiful?” I asked.

Benedict took my hand in his and admired the craftsmanship. “Custom made?” He raised an eyebrow at Tom. “I’m very impressed, Tom.”

Tom shrugged. “If it’s a traditionally cut ring, she would have to take it off every time she went to work.” He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. “Rings and gloves don’t really go together.”

Zach had been suspicious of it since Benedict made a subtle comment during their interview earlier today. “Wait… Tom, is this what I think it is?” We all smiled at Zach. “OH MY GOD!” he exclaimed. “Congratulations, Tom!” Zach reached over to take my hand and look at the ring. “When were you planning on telling me?”

Tom shook his head. “Imagine my surprise when I found out.”

“What?” Zach asked.

“I asked her to marry me a few weeks ago and she turned me down.” Tom chuckled. “But yesterday, she appeared incognito at the panel wearing the engagement ring.”

“How could you turn down Tom Fucking Hiddleston?” Zach asked me through laughter. No wonder Tom looked like the universe exploded yesterday.

“It’s a really big decision. I wanted to make sure I had everything in place before embarking on the journey.”

“So…” Benedict said, “Are you going to change your name?”

I shook my head. “It’ll be a pain in the ass to change all the official paperwork and it will confuse a lot of people. Dr. Anderson. Mrs. Hiddleston.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best to write a wedding and a honeymoon, but I was never satisfied with came out. (I'm disappointed with myself, too.) If I ever come up with something, I will probably post it as a secondary piece to this one.

“You need to stop smiling!” Tom’s co-star said, swatting him on the shoulder. “We’ve been struggling with this all week; it’s even worse today!”

Tom giggled. “I’m sorry. I can’t help myself.” He looked at me. “Every time I see my wife smiling, I smile.”

I had just arrived on set this morning; having nothing better to do I simply watched Tom work. We had a private wedding in London, but three days later Tom had to fly out for pick-ups. I decided to take three weeks off; one week to hang out with Tom on set and two weeks for our honeymoon.

“That’s cute,” he co-star shot back. “But we really need to get this done.”

Tom took a deep breath and stepped back into character. Halfway through the scene, Tom burst out in laughter. “I’m so sorry,” he said through his laughs.

I held my hands up in defeat. “I’m leaving.” I turned and walked away. I ended up in Tom’s trailer, tidying up the small living space.

About twenty minutes later, there were people running around set looking for me. One of the lighting crew leaned too far over the ladder and fell; he wasn’t significantly hurt, but his shoulder was dislocated.

“This is what happens when you send the most beautiful and charming woman away,” Tom exclaimed, jokingly.

“There’s nothing I can do for you here,” I said. “You need to go to a hospital and get your shoulder reset.”

“You mean you can’t just pop it back in?” he asked. He was sitting on one of the prop chairs.

“Technically, I can. But it’s going to hurt. A lot.”

He pleaded with me with his eyes. “I can handle pain. Please?”

I grimaced. “I really don’t feel comfortable practicing medicine like this. I’m not particularly keen on losing my medical license.”

“I promise I won’t sue.” He reached out and grabbed my shoulder with his good arm. “Please.” I looked at all the expectant faces of the cast and crew.

I sighed. “Alright.” Turning to the crew, I started giving orders. “Someone get this man Tylenol or ibuprofen. I need two sheets, large enough to wrap around this man.”

As I massaged the area around his shoulder, I directed him to take the maximum amount as stated on the pill container. “The problem is that when you dislocate your shoulder, your muscles contract and it prevents your joint from sliding back into place. Massaging helps relax our muscles.”

“How are you feeling?” I asked after ten minutes.

He shrugged. “Not great, but my shoulder hurts less.”

I nodded at him. “I’m going to wrap you in this sheet, so you can’t fight me when I’m putting your shoulder back.” After I did that, I said, “I need you to hold your arm like we’re going to arm wrestle. I’m going to pull and slide; that’s the part that is going to hurt.”

I looked at him directly in the face. “Are you ready?”

He nodded.

“Take deep breaths. On the count of three…” I got into position and mentally timed his breaths. “One… two… three.” I gave a small grunt as I pulled down on his arm as hard as I could; then I attempted to guide the joint back into its socket.

“FUCK!” the man screamed. “THAT FUCKING HURTS.” Some of the other crew snickered in the background.

Taking a step back, I laughed. “I told you to go to a hospital. That would have knocked you out before doing the procedure.” I let me arm relax for a minute. “I almost had it. Ready?”

The man nodded.

“FUCK!” the man screamed again.

“We got it this time.” I smiled at him. “I’m going to test your range of motion. This will also hurt a bit.” I unwrapped him from the sheet and had him move his arms around for me.

“Take pain medication as needed; follow the directions on the container. You’re going to have to wear a sling; you can buy one really cheap from any pharmacy. Or you can tie the ends and wear this sheet around your neck. And be careful not to move your shoulder; you have a high risk for re-dislocating it 24 hours after the initial injury.”

Without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed the man on the head. “You’re good to go. Take care.” I blushed. “I’m sorry; I normally work with children. That was out of habit.”

The man laughed. “It’s alright. Thanks for fixing my shoulder.”

Suddenly, people were clapping. “Why are you clapping?” I demanded. “You make it seem like I can’t normally do my job.” My comment made everyone laugh.

“It’s because you’re so good at it,” Tom commented. He stepped forward and gave me a quick kiss. “You’re too cool for the rest of us.”

I laughed. “Whatever. Finish your job, so we can go home.”

\---

One of the crew members was a regular video blogger; she was trying to make her way into the film industry and this was a good way to share her adventures with everyone else trying to do the same.

She had a large smile splayed on her face. “I can’t say too much about my job on set. It’s all top secret,” she giggled into the camera. “But I can tell you something very interesting.” She had to pause to collect herself. “Those of you who have been watching my videos know that I’m currently working with Tom Hiddleston. But this month is extra special.” She showed a picture of her standing with Tom Hiddleston.

“His wife is working on set with us. Yup! I spoke correctly. The woman who is Tom Hiddleston’s wife is on set, working with us!” She flailed her arms wildly in the air. “Normally I would be jealous, but she is so perfect for Tom that I can’t be anything except so incredibly happy for them. She’s a doctor! And works for UNICEF! I haven’t met her personally, but I see her helping out on set and everyone talks very highly about her.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo to show you. She’s not pretty, but she carries herself in such a way that you are drawn to her as if she was the queen.” She shrugged. “I guess she’s Tom’s queen, which is close enough.” She giggled at her own bad joke.

The crew member didn’t have enough online followers for the news to make a big splash on the first day, but by the second day the information leaked to the Hiddlestoners and exploded. And they went hysterical. There were rumors that Tom had been dating someone for a few years now, and was now engaged, but nothing was confirmed. The news that Tom Hiddleston was married emotionally destroyed the fandom. It also didn’t take them long to triangulate the information and figure out that Tom’s mysterious wife was Dr. Avery Anderson, director of UNICEF programs in Afghanistan.

\---

We laid in bed in Tom’s trailer for several hours before we thought of hanging out on Twitter. We still two days left to go before our honeymoon. It had been a while since he posted anything and it was a way to interact with fans. I prepared a pot of tea while Tom logged into his Twitter account on both of our laptops.

“Hiddles. Will you marry me?”

“I’m already married. To the most intelligent and beautiful and compassionate woman I have ever met. Bless you for asking. TH.”

“I’m still demanding a solo Loki film!”

“That makes two of us. AH.”

“Just moved to London! One of my goals is to meet Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch on the street.”

“Welcome to London! Volunteer at the @MedCareLondonClinic; I work there part-time; Tom volunteers when he’s not filming. AH.”

“You and your wife are so cute together. Can we expect babies soon?”

“Yes to children! We’ll have a whole army of them; just not right now because we have so much work to do. AH.” Tom followed that with, “One of our children will marry one of Benedict’s. It will be epic. TH.”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Purple. Tom’s is blue. AH.”

“Does your wife have her own Twitter account?”

“No. But sometimes she posts on @UNICEF_UK_Afgahni. TH.”

“What is your wife’s favorite movie that you’ve done?”

“ _Only Lovers Left Alive_. Because she loves Tilda Swinton with a capitol L. TH.” I followed that up with, “The Hollow Crown was when I fell in love, though. AH.”

“What movie always makes you cry?”

“ _Atonement_ with Kiera Knightly and James McAvoy. AH.”

“Favorite vacation destination?”

“Tom’s parents’ house! They have the best pudding and like to spoil me with it. Tom and I mutually love chocolate pudding. AH.”


	9. Chapter 9

Clive sent me a link to his favorite article he saw about my marriage to Tom. I laughed when I saw the title of the article. Because there were no photos of the two of us together, there was a photo from the UNICEF website of me working with children in Afghanistan and a photo of Tom on the red carpet.

_Director of Afghani Programs for UNICEF-UK marries that one actor from Thor._

_Last night, hearts all across the globe rejoiced as Earth's favorite humanitarian, Dr. Avery Anderson, confirmed her recent marriage to actor Tom Hiddleston via Twitter. Representatives of the couple confirmed that they are indeed married, but they did not share any details about the wedding or honeymoon._

_At least no we can look forward to adorable Hiddleston babies. Dr. Anderson had tweeted, “_ _Yes to children! We’ll have a whole army of them."_

_Dr. Anderson is a pediatrician in London, but is internationally acclaimed for her work as the Director of Afghani Program for UNICEF-UK. Under her guidance for the past six years, there has been a significant increase in the success of UNICEF programs in Afghanistan, most remarkable the implementation of safe maternity clinics. She is also a respected member of her London community, volunteering at a free clinic on her days off.  
_

_Tom Hiddleston is a British actor best known for his role as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe._

Tom leaned over my shoulder to read the article I was laughing hysterically at. He chuckled, appreciating that I got the attention that I deserved, that I was more than just some actor’s cute wife.

\---

Tom finally publicly discussed our marriage while doing an interview on Chatty Man with Alan Carr.

"Let's talk about UNICEF, real quick," Alan said. "You recently came back from your second trip to Afghanistan?"

"That is correct," Tom said. "My wife has been running the program for several years; she decided to hand off the position to Dr. Kevin McAllister, who has worked with her for a number of years. This recently past trip was her last trip." Tom leaned back in his seat. "It was also a really important trip for us because we celebrated our marriage for the second time with the community. It was breathtakingly beautiful."

“What is married life like? Does it suit you?”

Tom laughed. “I like to think so. I noticed that I'm just much, much happier all the time. The sun shines brighter, everyone around me spontaneously breaks out into song, and little forest animals follow me around."”

“Who’s the more domesticated one? Does she cook for you?”

Tom laughed. “She’s a terrible cook. But she’s definitely the more put together overall. My wife is an absolute superhero. She feeds me, puts me to bed, does my laundry, packs my clothes, and prepares everything for my next work trip!"

“Basically, she spoils you.”

"Pretty much. But I'm not complaining."

“You mentioned she’s a terrible cook. Is that her only flaw? Because I still think it’s not fair that she is so perfect and married to you.”

Tom laughed. “She can’t deliver jokes. The only she has, is whenever you saying you're coming, she replies with, 'Yes, but will you be here?'!" Tom giggled and let the joke sink in.

"That's really bad."

"It is."

\---

I burst into Tom’s office.  I was shaking with excitement and completely out of breath. If it wasn’t for the gigantic smile plastered on my face, Tom would have thought the worst.

He looked up from his tea. “What’s the matter, love?”

I started laughing. I was just so happy. Tom raised an eyebrow, entertaining the idea that I was losing my mind. Since leaving UNICEF, I picked up my job at the hospital full time training new pediatric residents. I was a patient woman, but I did not suffer fools lightly.

Finally, I breathed out, “Baby.”

Tom almost dropped his cup as he jumped to his feet. “Wait… Did you just say…?”

I nodded vigorously. “We’re having a baby.”

Tom scooped me in his arms, lifted me from the ground, and spun me around. We laughed together until we cried from laughing so hard. Tom's hand cupped my face and he pressed his forehead against mine. He placed his other hand on my stomach. After being married for a year and a half, we decided it was time to start a family.

“I love you so ardently.” Tom said as he kissed me again and again.

I laughed. “No need to be over dramatic.”

“I cannot control myself. You're going to be a mother; I'm going to be a father. We're going to have our own Hiddleston clan."

I smiled and nodded. 

“We have to tell everyone!” Tom exclaimed.

I shook my head. “The statistics for the first trimester are tricky. This is going to be our secret for a while.”

Tom nodded. “Can we at least tell Ben and Sophie?”

“Yes, yes of course.”

\---

“Fucking cunts!” I growled as I walked through the front door. “I swear I’m going to murder the new residents if they keep trying to murder their patients.” At five months pregnant, I had a foul temper and an insatiable appetite.

Tom set a chicken sandwich and some tea on the dining table for me. Coming out from the kitchen, he embraced me and gave me a kiss. “They’re just terrified of you. And when you’re nervous you don’t think straight.” I chuckled. “It’s not just your reputation. If I wasn’t your husband, I’d be scared shitless of your hormonal rage.”

“Wait until I can run again; then they’ll have something to be fucking terrified about.” I put a hand to my abdomen and breathed out heavily. “I hate feeling like a marshmallow.”

“You’re a little past halfway. Soon you’ll be back to your not I-scare-the-living-shit-out-of-fuckers self.”

I playfully punched my husband in the shoulder and waddled into the kitchen. “What would I do without you?”

Tom shrugged, following me. “Eat the entire hospital?”

I suddenly stopped and turned towards Tom. “What did you mean by hormonal rage?” Tom faked innocence, as if he didn’t make that comment earlier in the conversation. “Fuck off,” I threw over my shoulder.

Tom shook his head and chuckled. “They said that pregnancy can do weird things to you. But I wasn’t expecting this at all," he mumbled to himself.

\---

“The wife said I am now allowed to tell everyone!” Tom's smile widened. He paused for dramatic effect. “The wife is pregnant. We are expecting a baby girl in four months.” He did a little celebratory dance in his seat. "Ah, it feels so good to tell people that after bottling it in for five months. I quite literally want to shout it from the rooftops."

“A baby girl,” breathed the interviewer. “Congratulations, Tom!”

“Thank you! We are very, very, very, very excited. It feels so surreal because having children is something I've thought about and wanted for the better part of a decade; sometimes it is so emotionally overwhelming that it's finally happening.”

“Did you pick a name yet?”

Tom shook his head. “Not yet.” Tom paused. “But we decided that she has to marry Benedict’s son. Then the Hiddlestons and Cumberbatches will officially be family.” He laughed and shivered slightly. "I can't imagine what it'd be like to walk her down the aisle," Tom said, remembering our own wedding.

“Have you started receiving parenting advice yet?”

Tom nodded. “Everyone has some piece of advice to offer up. It’s a little overwhelming, but the wife has taken to writing the best pieces down in a notebook.”

“What does this mean for your career?”

“It means I’ll be disappearing from your screens for a few years. I’m fortunate enough to be in a very stable place right now. I’m going to stay home and take care of the baby. The wife will keep working because it kills her not to.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Does what bother me?”

“That she’s working and you’ll be a stay-at-home father? It’s bending convention.”

Tom shook his head. “Firstly and probably most importantly, since when is it wrong for the wife to be the breadwinner of the family? She's definitely more accomplished than I'll ever be. And she is a member of a highly respected, steady high income profession. Secondly, she doesn’t have to move around and be absent for months when she works.” Tom grinned with excitement. “Thirdly... We are having a baby! Why wouldn’t I want to stay home?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this is a very, very sad chapter.

I woke up in the middle of the night, profusely sweating. My legs felt damp and I was confused as to why that was. Pushing the covers off, my eyes widened in horror. I was excessively bleeding out. Even though I was a doctor, I didn’t need a medical degree to know I shouldn't be bleeding out. I scrambled from my bed to the dresser where my phone was.

I dialed the Cumberbatches. “Sophie,” I breathed into the phone. “Sophie, I need you to take me to the hospital.” I started crying, fearing the worst. “I need you to take me to the hospital right now.”

The second person I called Dr. Sarah Chesteen, a previous co-working from UNICEF and my OB/GYN. She met me at the hospital.

Within minutes, Benedict and Sophie were driving me the hospital. I screamed in agony in the backseat, begging every deity I could think of to take away the pain. By the time we reached the hospital, Sarah was already giving orders to prepare for surgery and the NICU.

“Surgery?” Benedict asked, confused. He looked at his wife and she shook her head back at him, not sure what was happening either.

“I will find you when we’re done.” Sarah said to the Cumberbatches and she followed a nurse who was wheeling me away. All I wished was for Tom to be with me, to tell me that no matter what happened, we were going to overcome it. I wished I could feel the warmth of Tom's body as he hugged me tight.

“Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine,” he called after me. “We love you, Avery. We’ve always loved you. We will always love you.”

I looked over my should and smiled at my best friend. I opened my mouth to say something, but a low guttural scream came out instead.

“You are the strongest woman I know,” Sophie said. “You can and you will survive this. We love you. Everything will be fine.”

“Do you want to call Tom?” Sarah asked. “We have a few minutes before surgery.”

I shook my head. “He’s in New York City promoting his new film. There’s nothing he can do and there’s no point in worrying him.”

I groaned as a wave pain hit me.

\---

In the waiting room, Benedict called Tom’s phone over and over, cussing at the man for not answering. It was understandable, though, because Tom was doing an interview on a late night television show.

During a commercial break, an aid brought the phone to the wings of the stage. “It’s been ringing for the past ten minutes. I thought maybe you’d want to answer it.”

Tom looked at the caller ID; it was Ben. “Excuse me,” Tom said, rising from his chair, removing his microphone, and turning his back to the audience. He answered his phone. “Hello? Ben?” Tom asked.

“YOU FUCKER!” Ben screamed into the phone. “Whatever you’re doing do right now, stop doing it. Get on the next plane back to London.”

“Woah,” Tom replied. “Calm down. I'm kind of in the middle of something. What's happening?”

There was a pause. Benedict cleared his throat, not sure what the appropriate words were.

"Ben?" Tom asked, his voice full of concern.

“Your wife is dying.”

Tom dropped his phone out of shock. All color drained from his face, his knees went weak, and it felt like everything was spinning around him. Tom didn't want to cry in front of an audience, but he couldn't help the tears. “I’m sorry,” he stammered to no one in particular. “I have to go. I have to go.” He put a hand out on to steady himself.

The phone buzzed on the floor.

As soon as Tom answered, Ben said, “I don’t fully understand it, but there’s something wrong with the pregnancy. They’re doing emergency surgery.”

Tom didn’t respond. About four months into the pregnancy, I had mentioned something to him, but had thrown so much medical jargon around that he didn't understand what I was talking about. All the really remembered from the conversation was me saying, "Don't worry about it."

He hung up and slowly lowered his arm, fumbling to put his phone in his pocket. Exiting the stage, Tom kept repeating, “I have to go to my wife,” over and over in a mumble. He pushed passed the support crew and stumbled his way around backstage.

\---

When I woke up a few hours later, Sarah was sitting next to me. She helped me to sit up and give me some water. She had a grim expression on her face.

“Avery, you’re a doctor.” I nodded. It was so bizarre being on the other end of the conversation. I was used to being the one breaking the news. I had mastered the art of empathy, the unique display of strength and medical reserve. There were little tricks you used.

Sarah was using those tricks on me now.

“You’re daughter is in the NICU.” She didn’t have to explain the risks and the slim chances of survival to me; I was a seasoned pediatrician. Sarah simply reached out and held my hand. “Do you want to call Tom?”

I shook my head. “Like I said before the surgery... He’s in New York right until the end of the week. I don’t want to worry him because there is nothing he can do.” I didn't know that Benedict had already taken liberties to inform my husband on my medical status.

\---

Nine hours later, Ben pulled Tom into a tight hug, one arm around Tom’s shoulders and one holding Tom’s head. Tom struggled against his best friend and cursed. “Calm down,” Ben said gently into Tom’s ear. “She can’t see you like this. It will break her.”

“Why?” Tom sobbed. “Why did this happen?”

Ben didn’t loosen his hold. “Life is cruel to the kindest people.” They stood there holding each other until Sarah come out from the room.

She shook her head. “Mr. Hiddleston,” she said with her voice filled with sympathy and understanding. Tom recognized that tone of voice; I used it all the time whenever I had to break bad news. “I think you should sit down.”

She waited for Tom to sit before she took a deep breath. “Three months ago, we found a large ovarian cyst in your wife's right ovary; for most women, these cysts are extremely painful but will naturally resolve themselves without any threat to the child. In fact, it is very common for women to develop ovarian cysts during the second trimester of pregnancy. However, several hour ago, Avery’s cyst ruptured, inducing premature labor. With her consent, we attempted surgical intervention.” Sarah swallowed a lump in her throat. “Your daughter survived the surgical intervention, but was too premature to handle NICU therapy. I’m sorry.”

Tom let out a sharp cry and buried his face in his hands.

“What about Avery?” Ben asked.

Sarah shook her head again. “She is alive and recovering. There were no complications with the surgery.” She took another deep breath. “If there is any good news in all of this, Avery’s ability to have future children is not affected.”

Tom sobbed outright. Ben placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Does Avery know?” Ben asked.

Sarah nodded. “She’s a fucking incredible doctor. I didn’t have to explain anything to her for her to know.” She bit her lower lip. “You can go in to see her when you’re ready.” Sarah shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her white coat and left the two men.

\---

Tom, Ben, and Sophie spent a few days cleaning up the blood and mess. They packed as many of the gifts and baby things as they could into boxes and then hid those boxes in a closet. As they went through the process, they didn’t speak to each other.

“It’s my fault,” I sobbed, as Tom and I lied in bed together, my first night home from hospital.

Tom wrapped his arms more tightly around me and replied, “It’s not your fault.”

“It is my fault. I was carrying the baby and I failed.”

Tom stroked my hair. “It’s not your fault. You did everything right. There is nothing you could have done to prevent this from happening. Sometimes the things we want the most are taken away from us.” He kissed me on the top of my head.

“I’m sorry,” I cried. “I’m sorry.”

Knowing we weren’t going to get any further in the conversation, Tom pulled me closer to him and repeated, “I love you,” in between my apologies.

Both Tom and I were so brokenhearted that we canceled everything. Tom called Luke, telling him that I had miscarried and that he wanted the next three months off in addition to the time he was already going to take off when the baby was supposed to be born. Tom told Luke to be discrete when providing an explanation of why he would not be coming to work.

As soon as our friends caught wind of “Tom’s family crisis,” they came to visit. They brought flowers and food and traditional gifts of mourning. The last person to visit was my old partner from UNICEF and best friend, Dr. Clive Winslett.

He stood in the doorway to the bedroom and frowned at me. I was lying curled into a ball on my side under several blankets; the room was dark. I hadn't left the apartment in two weeks. All it took was one look to know exactly how I felt; it was like I had lost my first husband all over again. Clive sat down on the bed next to me and talked with me, even though I didn’t reply to anything he said.

After an hour, Clive sat on the couch next to Tom. “You know, I will probably never get married and have family.”

Tom looked at him, frowning and confused where the conversation would be going. Clive continued, “I love her so much. As much I wish I could be the man she calls her husband, I know that it will never happen."

“This isn’t helping,” Tom replied.

“I see how much you love her and the way you make her so happy. It’s more than anything I can give her. You need to push her; her spirit is broken and the only way she will heal is if she is reminded of all that the world has to offer.” Clive sighed. “Make her get out of this apartment. Make her work. Make her hate you.”

Clive clapped his hands on his knees and stood up. “You are her husband. You have the sole privilege and responsibility for her well-being.” He pulled on his jacket and placed a hand on Tom’s shoulders. “When she lost her first husband, I was only able to help her for a month. Then I cracked and ran away. That’s why I could never bring myself to ask her to marry me.”

Clive took a deep breath. “What you’re about to do is the hardest fucking thing to do. But you cannot abandon her now.”


	11. Chapter 11

Tom and I were cuddled on the couch. It had been three months since the miscarriage. We spent one month recovering; we spent another month going on vacation; and we spent another month slowly picking up our work projects.

“I still have four months scheduled off. Is there anything you want to do?” Tom asked. He looked down at me, nestled in his arm. “How are you doing?” he asked.

I took a deep breath. “I feel better. I think we should start going back to work full-time. Thanks for kicking my ass and not letting me fester in my misery.”

Tom shrugged. “I had to. Seeing you miserable breaks my heart.” He tightened his hold around me. “But are you sure? About going back to work?” When I lost my first husband, I had pushed myself so hard that it look a long time for the scars to heal properly.

“We have nothing to worry about financially,” Tom added.

I nodded. “I know you’re worried, because Clive told you that last time I ran away instead of facing my problems. But time… It’s different because I have you.” I sat up, turned, and kissed my husband. “I promise I’m fine.”

Tom kissed. “If you say so…”

“You know…” I said, plucking at the collar of his t-shirt, “I was thinking… maybe we could try again in a few months….”

Tom kissed me again. “If you say so…”

\---

“And how is your son?”

Tom grinned wickedly. “Michael is now a year and a half. He’s a very crafty and athletic little booger.”

“What’s it like being a father? Are you enjoying it?”

Tom laughed. “You know, not much has changed. I still get barely get any sleep and have to pretend to be angry with him when he spits his food back out or tries to eat the piano.”

“I think you should explain the eating the piano part.”

Tom laughed again. “Not really. He’s like any other baby, where he wants to put things in his mouth. You know you should angry and stop him, but sometimes I’m giggling too much at how ridiculous he looks to be angry.”

“It suits you, then?”

“Immensely. I’m looking forward to our second child.”

The interviewer narrowed his eyes at Tom. “Is your wife pregnant?”

Tom his lower lip and tired not to smile. He fidgeted with his tie. “I can’t tell you that sensitive, personal information,” Tom replied.

But it was not a convincing lie.

\---

Glamour UK magazine decided to do an article about us. I was sitting straight up on a couch, one arm propped on the arm rest and one arm wrapped around Tom. Tom was draped along the couch, with his head resting in my lap. I was wearing my traditional doctor’s outfit; Tom was wearing a suit and bow tie. We both smoldered into the camera, pulling our most serious expressions.

_Mr. and Dr. Hiddleston – the Ultimate Power Couple._

_The first thing you notice about this dynamic duo is their smiles. They’re always smiling that heartwarming, megawatt smile; it’s an obvious display of their brimming enthusiasm for life and infinite compassion for others. The second thing you notice is that they are the ultimate loving couple, perfectly in sync and affectionate with one another. They both ramble in similar fashions when they’re excited about a topic. The third thing that they are the living incarnations of everything you could ever dream of: the charm, the grace, the success, and the affluence._

_“He’s definitely the better half,” Dr. Avery Anderson Hiddleston jokes. “I’m the grumpy one.” Dr. Anderson is a pediatrician and previous director of UNICEF-UK programs in Afghanistan. She volunteers at a free clinic in London on her days off._

_Tom Hiddleston chuckles and responds, “But you are by the far the more well put together one.” Mr. Hiddleston is an internationally acclaimed actor and heartthrob. He is also a UNICEF goodwill ambassador._

_In fact, Mr. and Dr. Hiddleston met via their work with UNICEF, in which Mr. joined Dr. on one of her trips to Afghanistan. They dated for three years and been married for five. They have two young children, a boy and a girl. But if you count all the children they’ve saved through their work through UNICEF, then they’re closer to 2,000._

_“No one goes into medicine to make money,” Dr. Anderson said when asked about why she chose to be doctor. “Or at least they shouldn’t. Medicine about using your talents to help those you cannot help themselves. I went into medicine because I want people to live healthy and meaningful lives. I see the field in a very dichotomous way: I’m a doctor, you’re a patient. It doesn’t matter if you can afford my services because medicine is about saving everyone’s lives.”_

_When asked what inspired her to go into medicine, she rattles off a number of reasons: pressure from her parents, friends, professors, and cultural background; a genuine desire to contribute to society; the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars._

_“The wars?” I ask._

_She nods sadly and responds with, “I lived through the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. With the Egypt and Syria and Israel/Gaza conflicts. I remember thinking to myself, ‘How can I help these people? I can damn well help them as a doctor.’”_

_“Do you miss Tom when he’s away?” I ask._

_Mr. Hiddleson laughs at me. “I think I miss her more than she misses me!” He reaches out and they clasp hands for a little while. “As an actor, sometimes I get swept away in characters and lose myself. My wife brings me balance because she always helps me find myself again and she understand me in ways I cannot explain. She is always taking care of me.”_

_“I do miss Tom,” Dr. Anderson adds. “He is a very loving and generous and humorous man. It makes being a working mother easy.”_

_Then I have to ask, “Between the two of you, which one do your children like more?”_

_They double over in laughter._

_“Definitely Dad,” Dr. Anderson chirps. “He’s the fun one.”_

_Mr. Hiddleston shakes his head. “It’s definitely Mom.” Mr. Hiddleston faces his wife and says, “I hid it from you, waiting for the perfect time to tell you… But our son wrote a report about you. In it, he says that although his father is really famous, his mother actually helps people by saving their lives.” Mr. Hiddleston giggles. “And then he drew a picture of you with wings, like the angel that you are.”_

_“You’re joking, right?” Dr. Anderson asks her husband, her smile broader. They give each other a quick, sweet kiss._

_Perhaps what is the most incredible thing about this couple is that you are immediately inspired by them. At the 90 minute conversation we had, I feel uplifted and confident, want to tell every stranger that I love them, and find myself signing up to volunteer at an animal shelter this weekend._

I toss the article on the table while rolling my eyes. But I had to admit that I really liked the way the photo turned out; I wanted to get a full sized version framed.

Tom picks it up and reads the article. “This is quite good.”

“It makes me sound like some kind of saint, which I most definitely am not. I have a temper and a foul mouth.”

Tom chuckled. “Stacking the occasional temper tantrum and the foul mouth against all the good you have done in the world, I think you still are a saint.” He leaned over the table and kissed me. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I love you more, Dr. Avery Anderson Hiddleston.”

“Lies,” I responded, pulling my husband to me for another kiss. “No man has been more loved by a woman, than you have been by me, Mr. Thomas William Hiddleston.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read my work!!! I appreciate you sincerely.  
> Please leave a review, so that I may improve my future works.


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